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National Post

5 Father's Day gift ideas that are thoughtful and useful

Article content Article content Okay, maybe your dad is more like MacGruber, but there's really nothing that can bring the MacGyver out in men of a certain age better than a Swiss Army knife. Armed with the Ranger from Victorinox (one of the two companies licensed to make knives for the Swiss military — and essentially anyone else who wants to buy one), he'll be prepared for anything. Article content Sure, he'll probably just use it to open bottles and pick corn out of his teeth, but he will also do so with full confidence that in the event of calamity, he'll be fully equipped to spring into action and save the world. Article content The Ranger has 21 built-in tools. Are we going to list them all? Yes, we are. Article content Blade, small Nail file Nail cleaner Metal saw Metal file Corkscrew Multipurpose hook Screwdriver 2.5 mm Toothpick Can opener Screwdriver 3 mm Scissors Blade, large Tweezers Chisel 4 mm Bottle opener Screwdriver 6 mm Wire stripper Wood saw Keyring Reamer, punch and sewing awl Article content Article content Article content How long does it take for an album to be considered a classic? Ten years is a nice round number, so let's go with that. By that measure, Vampire Weekend's third LP, Modern Vampires of the City, certainly qualifies. Article content In a retrospective essay marking the album's 10th anniversary in 2023, Stereogum's Chris DeVille described Modern Vampires as both a 'masterpiece' and 'one of history's sunnier death-obsessed records'. That's because it strikes the right balance between darkness and levity and between experimentalism and accessibility. Article content By 2013, Vampire Weekend had managed to divide the music-critic blogosphere, with many finding the Brooklyn band led by singer Ezra Koenig too preoccupied with the minute tribulations of the privileged, too indebted to African pop, and entirely too precious by half. With Modern Vampires of the City, the group won over the naysayers by shrugging off all preconceived notions and focusing on genuinely brilliant songwriting and innovative production. Article content Article content Article content Depending on your budget, this one might be a bit of a splurge, but it's actually a great deal when you consider that a regular Deluxe Reverb amplifier could run you anywhere from $2,000 to $4,000 depending on the from the price, the major difference between the Tone Master and other Fender Deluxe Reverb amps is that the Tone Master is all-digital, designed to re-create that classic amp sound without tubes. What does this mean for the player? For one thing, it means that the Tone Master models the circuitry and 22-watt power output of an original Deluxe tube amp — but with the added oomph of a high-performance 100-watt digital power amp.